Author Topic: Road Force Balancing (Read 11814 times)

mis3 · « **on:** July 19, 2008, 05:00:43 pm »

Did anyone try Road Force Balancing, using a Hunter GSP9700?

I did my research and it does look good. However, I am asking for user experience. Something that looks good in paper may, sometimes, be insignificant in real world situations.

One website actually said that road force balancing can give you the new-car feel...

rrocket · « **Reply #1 on:** July 19, 2008, 05:42:18 pm »

I have for a few years now (though I'm not sure of the machine model, they were indeed Hunters). Some manufacturers (I know Lexus for sure) specifies road force balancing. On my recent Vredestein purchase for the Supra they tires were road force balanced. The theory behind indeed makes sense, and as of yet I have no issue with any tire balanced this way.

johngenx · « **Reply #2 on:** July 19, 2008, 06:41:44 pm »

The Mercedes was super-sensitive to wheel balance, and I could definitely feel the difference between "normal" and RoadForce balancing. On the Subaru I lost a wheel weight and could feel it slightly. My tire guy was shocked at how out of balance it was. Obviously, the Subaru is not as fussy as the MB was.

So, I think it depends on the vehicle...

erich · « **Reply #3 on:** July 21, 2008, 10:27:35 am »

Same for the SAAB
I bought Michelins at Costco and had them balanced there three times, still I could feel vibrations at highway speeds.
One visit to a Roadforce balancing shop and now it's OK. The needed to add only about 1 oz on each wheel.
Thanks to the posters on this forumwho helped me find the tire shop!

FordEscort · « **Reply #4 on:** August 11, 2008, 11:45:17 pm »

I work at a tire shop with a Road Force balancer. This is a GREAT balancer. We have had it for about three years. We never have new tires come back with a vibration anymore.

Dave L · « **Reply #5 on:** August 14, 2008, 10:27:36 pm »

Miata's are very likely to need a Hunter balancer. They're very sensitive, and often shake about 60-65mph.

Regards,
DaveL
(5 Miata's later...)

articsteve · « **Reply #6 on:** August 15, 2008, 12:23:05 am »

Love to own one. Step up from my bubble balancer I think.

Loudpedal · « **Reply #7 on:** August 15, 2008, 09:28:06 am »

5 'balances' on a regular balancer could not eliminate the vibrations from the Nokian WR's on our Honda Odyssey. After having them roadforce balanced, they were as smooth as can be.

Like johngenx mentioned earlier, some vehicles are more sensitive to a wheel out of balance, as is the case in Honda Odysseys.

If you have a wheel that can seemingly not be balanced, roadforce balancing is worth the money.

mrthompson · « **Reply #8 on:** August 15, 2008, 09:36:16 am »

Is road force balancing more expensive? I assume it is given that the equipment is more sophisticated.

I'm having vibration issues with the Focus. I've had the local tire shop balance them and inspect the tires/wheels to no avail. I replaced the tire I suspected of being the worst offender but my mechanic only has a bubble balancer. The replacement helped but has not cured all. I'm inclined to try a shop using a Hunter RF balancer - there are two in the area; a GM dealer and a tire/alignment shop.

morty · « **Reply #9 on:** August 23, 2008, 02:56:41 pm »

RoadForce balancing will be more expensive. The Machine costs about 10x more than a traditional balancer and the amount of time to do it properly is significantly more. However, when you can't get rid of an annoying vibration or you want to avoid that problem all together; it is money well spent. No tire or wheel are perfectly round. When you use a traditional balancer it just tells you where the heavy spot is and where to put the weight to counteract. It still doesn't make the assembly round. What the Road Force does is tell you the high spot of the tire and low spot of the wheel and allow you to match together, making the most round assembly possible. It will also let you know if the tire has been mounted properly on the wheel. Many vibration issues are caused by a mismount. What this means is that the tire has not been mounted properly on the wheel. No matter how hard you try to balance this on a traditional tire machine you will still experience a vibration because the tire and wheel assembly is essentially an egg shape. What a shop will do in this situation is rotate the tire 90 degress and then 180 degrees until they get a decent amount of weight, but this still does not mean it is mounted properly. Just means they have gotten the weight as low as possible. I always maintain you can balance a rock, but it will never be round.

Careener · « **Reply #10 on:** August 23, 2008, 03:07:15 pm »

Sam's club uses Hunter machines and charge next to nothing even for wheels they didn't sell you.
I brought in a friend's car last weekend to have 4 wheels picked up in Buffalo mounted. The total including tire disposal and tax was $45.

APSCORADIALES · « **Reply #11 on:** August 25, 2008, 07:25:08 pm »

Road Force Hunter balancing machine is great, but only as great as the operator using it.
I've had my tires balanced on this machine over the years, and the only time I had a problem was when the tire guy had no idea how to use it.
Just had the tires balanced on the Audi on that machine, and the car feels absolutely fantastic.
Another shop, to whom I took the car twice, had no idea how to use the machine.

Use this link to find a shop with it...
http://www.gsp9700.com/pub/search/findgsp9700.cfm

but, do NOT go to Vanhemmen in Whitby; they haven't a clue, and you'll be waaaaaay overcharged.
It should cost you about $120 to have four tires balanced.

Winklovic · « **Reply #12 on:** December 05, 2009, 09:07:07 am »

I had this done yesterday and found a huge improvement. Definitely worth the money.

Dave L · « **Reply #13 on:** December 11, 2009, 11:32:12 pm »

Morty thanks for your comment.
We've owned 5 Miatas and they were tire sensitive.
Now we have a Saab 9-3 Aero and it is too.

DaveL
Toronto

Question>>how do you find a shop with Hunter Roadforce? I'm in Mississauga.

Loudpedal · « **Reply #14 on:** December 12, 2009, 12:08:21 am »

Quote from: Dave L on December 11, 2009, 11:32:12 pm

Morty thanks for your comment.
We've owned 5 Miatas and they were tire sensitive.
Now we have a Saab 9-3 Aero and it is too.

DaveL
Toronto

Question>>how do you find a shop with Hunter Roadforce? I'm in Mississauga.

Here a link from the Hunter website.
http://www.gsp9700.com/pub/search/findgsp9700.cfm

Noobee · « **Reply #15 on:** December 12, 2009, 07:54:40 pm »

We've got vibration issues on our Mazda with Nexen Winguard 231. The Road Force Balancing may be a good option but since the tires are cheap and we dont drive much on the highway, maybe it's overkill.

UmroAyyar · « **Reply #16 on:** December 12, 2009, 08:06:50 pm »

Nokian WRG2 tires here on a 2007 Toyota Camry. Vibration issues on highway speeds. Road Force balancing solved the problem, its as smooth as it should be. Definitely worth it.

Dave L · « **Reply #17 on:** December 13, 2009, 12:09:26 pm »

Quote from: Loudpedal on December 12, 2009, 12:08:21 am

Thanks Loudpedal! Much appreciated.

DaveL
Toronto

Question>>how do you find a shop with Hunter Roadforce? I'm in Mississauga.

Here a link from the Hunter website.
http://www.gsp9700.com/pub/search/findgsp9700.cfm

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carcrazy · « **Reply #18 on:** December 13, 2009, 01:20:22 pm »

Quote from: UmroAyyar on December 12, 2009, 08:06:50 pm

Nokian WRG2 tires here on a 2007 Toyota Camry. Vibration issues on highway speeds. Road Force balancing solved the problem, its as smooth as it should be. Definitely worth it.

I got the same issue (past 110-120 km/h) withe the newly installed WR G2. Did you go to a Kal Tire location for Road Force balancing? Which one? Did you have to pay extra?

UmroAyyar · « **Reply #19 on:** December 13, 2009, 02:17:48 pm »

Quote from: carcrazy on December 13, 2009, 01:20:22 pm

Quote from: UmroAyyar on December 12, 2009, 08:06:50 pm
Nokian WRG2 tires here on a 2007 Toyota Camry. Vibration issues on highway speeds. Road Force balancing solved the problem, its as smooth as it should be. Definitely worth it.

I got the same issue (past 110-120 km/h) withe the newly installed WR G2. Did you go to a Kal Tire location for Road Force balancing? Which one? Did you have to pay extra?

I didn't buy Nokians from Kal Tire, they wouldn't move on price. I bought the same tires for $40/tire less. I went to Scarborough Lexus/Toyota for road force balancing while I went for oil change. Cost $99.